


■ .V- 



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SECRETS OF 

EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 



By FRANK HECK 



An Exposition of the Metliods Employed 
by Breeders of Standard Bred Fowls in 
Preparing Their Birds for Poultry Shows, 
Including Many Dishonest Schemes 
Which are Occasionally Practiced 



PRICE, $2.00 



Published by 

FRANK HECK 

355 Dearborn Street, Chicago, III. 

1909 



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Copyright, 1909 
By Frank Heck 



48418 



IMPORTANT NOTICE 
This bookt including the entire contentst 
is copyrighted and all persons are hereby 
warned against copying, printing or repro- 
ducing in any fomit the information con- 
tained herein* All legal rights under the 
copyright laws are fully reserved and any 
infringements will be prosecuted to the fullest 
extent* 



I/' 



Read This First 



This book is not as large as some others, but the 
purchaser is buying information and not paper and 
printing. It has been the aim of the author to dis- 
close the various methods of expert exhibitors as 
ascertained by him in his experience as a breeder, 
exhibitor and judge in the show room. With re- 
gard to some of the methods explained herein, we 
wish to say to the reader, in the language of the 
poet, 

"I know not what the truth may be 
I tell it as 'twas told to me." 

This refers particularly to such portions of the 
book as deal with absolutely unfair and dishonest 
methods commonly designated as faking. Some of 
them have come to our notice in judging fowls and 
others constitute knowledge which has been impart- 
ed to us by other judges and exhibitors, who have, 
in their experience, come in contact with the meth- 
ods described. Anyone who is at all familiar with 
conditions in the poultry world, knows that as high 
a plane of morals exists among poultry fanciers as is 
found in any other class of individuals and beyond 
a shadow of doubt, it is much higher than in some 
other honorable and legitimate occupations. 

Looking at the matter from the opposite view- 
point, we cannot deny that in the ranks of poultry- 



6 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

men there may occasionally be found an individual 
who will not hesitate to practice dishonest methods 
in his dealings with his fellow breeders. It is not 
at all strange that this is true. The poultry fratern- 
ity is made up of people from all walks of life, peo- 
ple of all occupations, trades, businesses and pro- 
fessions, from day laborers to ministers of the gos- 
pel. In such a motley gathering of humanity, there 
must of necessity, be individuals whose standard of 
honesty is not above criticism. This condition ex- 
ists among poultrymen because it exists in other 
legitimate vocations from which the ranks of poul- 
trymen are recruited. 

By far the greater portion of the methods ex- 
plained in this book are considered honorable and 
legitimate practices. Some are the dishonest 
methods of fakers, and the object of the author in 
disclosing them is to place honest breeders in a posi- 
tion where, by having the knowledge, they are forti- 
fied against imposition, through being able in many 
instances to detect fraud when it is practiced. The 
man or woman who can take God's creatures of 
flesh and feathers and by mastering the laws of 
breeding mold the birds into the beautiful creations 
which are found in fanciers' yards today are artists 
of the highest type and benefactors of their fellow- 
men. As a co-worker in the field, we extend to 
them our heartiest good will and best wishes. 

The Author. 



Secrets of Expert Exhibitors 



How to Bring out the Bright Red Color of Combs, 
Face and Wattles. 

For brightening the combs, face and wattles of 
birds in the show room a solution is used composed 
of two parts alcohol and one part glycerine with 
three drops of oil of sassafras to each teaspoonful 
of the mixture. From two to four applications per 
day will produce results. Use a small sponge or 
soft cloth and apply just enough each time to 
moisten the parts, using care to not get the mixture 
into the eyes. 

How to Straighten Lopped Spikes or Blades of 
Combs. 

The secret of straightening the spikes, the blade 
and the top portion of single combs is to massage 
the parts gently and often, bending them in the 
opposite direction. This treatment will not result 
in permanent good and it is usually practiced for 
only a day or two before and during the show. The 
spike on rose combs which does not follow the head 
closely enough can also be much improved by gently 
pressing it down against the head with a rubbing 



8 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

motion, as suggested for single combs. There is no 
way to mechanically or medicinally produce lasting 
improvement. 

How Side Sprigs are Removed Without Leaving a 

Scar. 

In removing side sprigs from combs, care is taken 
to use very small scissors or a knife which will per- 
mit of taking off the sprig level with the surface of 
the comb. It is claimed that by pinching ofif the 
sprig with one's sharp finger-nails, the skin will 
form over the spot and leave no scar. Powdered 
alum or tannin is used to stop the flow of blood and 
if the wound does not heal quickly, a few applica- 
tions of common vaseline will help it. The sprigs 
are removed three or four weeks before the bird is 
to be shown and it should be as nearly matured or 
full grown as possible. Sprigs removed from the 
combs of young birds will grow^ out again to some 
extent as the comb grows. 

A Practically Unknown Cause of Lopped Combs 
and the Remedy. 

Male birds with large combs and especially Leg- 
horns, Minorcas, etc., will often develop lopped 
combs by reason of holding their heads under their 
wing while on the perches at night. The habit is 
formed of holding the head under the same wing 
constantly and this bending over of the comb finally 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 9 

trains it in that position. The remedy is to notice 
which wing the head is kept under and to keep the 
plumage under this wing dusted with cayenne 
pepper or tobacco dust. This will cause the bird 
to use the other wing and in many cases the comb 
will be trained back to an upright position. 

Preventing Show Room Growth and Lopping of 
Comb. 

In a warm show room the combs of fowls will 
sometimes expand and seemingly grow much larger 
in a short time. A comb not having a strong solid 
base is also apt to lop over from its natural, upright 
position. These defects may easily be the cause of 
a bird losing first prize. The comb should be bathed 
in very strong "tea" made from White Oak bark 
to which a tablespoonful of bay rum may be added 
to a pint of the tea. Alum water is also helpful. 
The applications should be frequent. 

How to Prevent Combs from Freezing When Birds 
are Exposed. 

When conditions are such that combs will almost 
surely be frozen, it can be prevented by annointing 
them with vaseline each night when the birds go 
to roost. 

How to Save Frost Bitten Combs and Wattles. 

There is no remedy that will restore the comb to 
its normal condition if treatment is delayed till the 



10 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

comb turns black. Treatment consists of pressing 
snow to the injured parts for several minutes or 
bathing them with ice water, rubbing them very 
lightly after which apply carbolated vaseline or 
other like ointment frequently. Listerine is excel- 
lent for this purpose and also for allaying infla- 
mation generally. 

A Frequent Cause of Large, Beefy and Lopped 
Combs and How to Prevent Them. 

Many exhibitors, both before and during a show, 
make the serious mistake of feeding heavily of meat. 
Confining birds in a warm pen or show room and 
the feeding of much meat foods under this condi- 
tion will, in most cases, cause the combs to grow 
rapidly, develop beefiness and fall to one side. 

How to Detect Trimmed or Cut Combs. 

Combs which have been trimmed or from which 
side sprigs have been removed can usually be de- 
tected by the very smooth surface left in the form 
of a scar. The portion of the comb that has been 
cut is not apt to be covered with the same coarse 
texture of skin as found on the comb in its natural 
condition. 

How Foreign Color is Removed from Beaks. 
A small amount of black or brown color may 
sometimes be removed from yellow beaks by using 
fine sand paper or an ordinary finger-nail file. The 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 11 

beak should not be filed down enough to cause 
pain to the bird. If this is necessary, the defect is 
so deeply rooted that it cannot be removed. 

How Small Patches of White are Covered up in 
Red Ear Lobes. 

In some cases of defective lobes the white spots 
can be dyed with vermillion or permanganate of 
Potasium. The proper strength to use of these dyes 
depends upon the shade of color of the lobe. There 
are no dyes or stains that will completely cover 
large spots of enamel white. 

How White Ear Lobes are Treated for Small De- 
fects in Color. 

Oxide of Zinc ointment may be applied to white 
ear lobes with beneficial effects. It should be 
rubbed well into the skin once a day. The dry 
powder may also be used if the lobes be well damp- 
ened and dried before applying it. There are acid 
treatments for ear lobes but it is "cruelty to ani- 
mals" to use them and they always leave a scar. 

Eruptions on Ear Lobes of Exhibition Birds. Cause 
and Remedy. 

Sometimes birds that are confined closely and 
that have been highly fed for show condition will 
develop a mild form of eruption or pimples on ear 
lobes which may be considered by the judge as an 
attempt to remove off color. Give the bird ten 



12 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

grains of bicarbonate of potash and ten grains of 
salts. Annoint the lobes with eucalyptus ointment 
or carbolated vaseline. 

How to Obliterate Red Edges on White Ear Lobes. 

In many cases there is just a trace of red around 
the edges of white ear lobes, but it may be enough 
to prevent the bird from winning. These red edges 
may be remedied by rolling the edge back to the 
under side. One should have an assistant to hold 
the head of the bird while the operator uses both 
hands at the same time. Rub the lobe from the 
center toward the edges, thereby stretching the 
skin slightly so that the red portion of the edges 
may be worked back to the under surface. 

Coloring Yellow Legs. 

Butter-Color is sometimes used for adding depth 
of color to the legs of yellow-legged fowls. The 
recipe is three drops in a teaspoonful of sweet oil. 
Apply the mixture to the legs with a flannel cloth 
and avoid getting it into the plumage. Light ap- 
plications of Iodine will also increase the color of 
yellow legs and saffron-yellow is sometimes used. 

Removing Traces of Stubs Pulled from Legs. 

Special treatment is not necessary when the 
defect consists of down or minute stubs, if they are 
entirely removed from beneath the scales. Larger 
stubs may leave a hole which discloses the matter. 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 13 

The surface of the scale may be Hghtly scraped 
around the edges in cases where this would improve 
the appearance. The cavity left by removing the 
stub is generally filled with paraffin, beeswax, yel- 
low soap or putty. 

How to Secure and Hold Profuse Toe and Leg 
Feathering on Feathered Leg Varieties. 

A ragged appearance of toe and leg feathering in 
Asiatic breeds is a serious handicap in the show 
room and the matter is of great importance to 
breeders. It all depends upon the runs and floors 
of houses in which the birds are kept. Floors and 
yards of sand or soft earth kept in a loose state 
should be used and they should be kept very clean. 
Sawdust may be used on the floors of houses. 
Feathers are easily broken when they become 
matted together by droppings, mud, etc., and the 
birds should be examined frequently to prevent this 
condition. Perfect toe feathering can never be main- 
tained if the brids are kept on hard floors or hard 
earth runs or in moist dirty places. 

How to Prevent Light Colored Legs. 

Lime used on the dropping boards and about the 
runs will lessen the depth of color in legs in yel- 
low-legged fowls. Ashes in the runs are also detri- 
mental. Constant confinement on bare ground will 
bleach yellow legs and especially during the hot 



14 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

summer months or where the earth is of yellow 
clay formation. Avoid all these conditions and the 
legs will show as strong color as the birds are 
naturally capable of showing. 

How to Clean and Polish the Legs of Exhibition 
Birds. 

Cleanliness and the bright, healthful condition of 
legs and toes count for considerable in the show 
room. The most successful method of putting the 
legs in shape is as follows : Wash them thoroughly 
with soap and warm water allowing ample time for 
the water to soak well into the crevices beneath 
the scales. Clean the dirt from beneath the scales 
with a wooden tooth pick or a match trimmed to a 
point. Dry the legs and then rub long and briskly 
with a chamois skin. A final and higher polish is 
obtained by using alcohol in which a little paraffin 
wax has been dissolved. 

How to Secure a New Growth of Scales on Legs. 

It is claimed that a heavy coating of gas tar on 
the legs of a fowl will cause a moulting of the old 
scales and that as they fall off, the new scales will 
appear beneath the old ones. 

Remedy for Leg Weakness in Exhibition Birds that 
Have been Fed "Off Their Feet." 

A forcing diet such as is often necessary in get- 
ting birds in show condition will sometimes pro- 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING ]5 

duce leg weakness to such an extent that the bird 
can remain on its feet for only a few moments at 
a time. Treatment in such cases is as follows. Sul- 
phate of iron, one grain, sulphate of quinine, one- 
half grain, strychnine, one-sixteentfi grain and 
phosphate of lime, five grains. Make the mixture 
into twelve pills of equal size and give one each day. 

How Back Plumage is "Fixed" to Reduce the 

Angle at the Tail and Give a Nicer 

Curve to the Back. 

Great improvement may be made in the shape of 
the back by manipulation of the feathers at and near 
the base of the tail. The bird must be washed 
and when the feathers are damp but in the process 
of drying they can be slightly curved and fluffed 
into shape so that the low place at base of tail is 
filled out considerable and a nicer curvature of the 
back is secured. The feathers when thoroughly 
dry will hold their shape for some time. 

Removing Creaminess and Brassiness from White 
Birds. 

The mildest treatment for this defect is the use 
of common wash bluing in the water in which the 
birds are washed. Peroxide of Hydrogen, oxalic 
acid and amonia are used effectively in extreme 
cases. Methods of application are described upon 
another page under the head ''Washing and Bleach- 
ing White Birds." 



16 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

How to Prevent Diarrhoea in Washed Birds. 

Washing a fowl will very often cause diarrhoea 
which has a tendency to soil the fluff plumage and 
may get the bird out of condition. Give it a good 
feed of boiled rice which has been liberally sprinkled 
with prepared chalk. 

How to Prevent Colds When Birds are Washed. 

A wet bird placed in a draught will almost surely 
catch cold and may be unfit for showing. In cases 
where there seems to be danger on this point, give 
the bird three drops of spirits of camphor on a 
tablespoonful of mash food after washing. 

How to Revive Birds Which Have Fainted While 
Being Washed. 

Sometimes a bird while being washed will faint 
on account of the water being too warm and it may 
not recover. In such cases it should be removed 
from the tub immediately when the head and neck 
appear as though they were becoming limp, and 
immersed quickly in cool water. 

How to Prevent Death in the Tub While Washing. 

Occasionally a fowl will die in the tub while being 
washed. This is caused by action upon the heart 
produced by the shock of too sudden immersion or 
by reason of the water being too hot or too cold. 
These deaths may be prevented by taking care that 
the causes are not present. 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING ii 

How to Easily Get the Soap out of the Plumage 
of Birds After Washing. 

One of the most important details of successful 
washing- is to get all traces of soap removed from 
the feathers when rinsing the bird. If this is not 
done the bird will not be fit to show. This work 
can be greatly facilitated by placing a little borax 
in the rinsing water. 

How to Bring out the Lustre of Plumage which 
May be lost in Washing a Bird. 

After the bird is washed and is thoroughly dry, 
take a silk handerchief, dust powdered starch upon 
it and rub lightly the entire surface of outer plum- 
age. The feathers must be absolutely dry and the 
next day or two after washing is best for starch 
applications. Washing should be done a week be- 
fore the showing, if possible and a mash food fed 
once per day in which ten per cent of the bulk is 
linseed meal. This puts a natural gloss on the 
feathers. 

Quantity of Bluing to Place in the Water Used in 
Washing White Fowls. 

If too much bluing is placed in the water, the 
birds will be in worse condition than if not washed 
at all. There should be just enough so that a piece 
of linen dipped in the water and dried will not show 
the coloring. 



18 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

How to Prevent Feathers from "Curling" When 
Drying After the Bird has been Washed. 

An important matter which never occurs to most 
fanciers when washing their fowls is the tendency 
of the feathers to sHghtly curl around the edges if 
the bird is placed too close to a fire. The usual 
method of drying is to place the bird in front of 
an open stove and very often the plumage is in- 
jured as above stated without the breeder knowing 
the cause. The bird should not be so close to the 
fire that one's hand cannot be held for three or 
four minutes where the bird must stand. 

The Best Soap for Washing Fowls. 

Any brand of white soap will answer the purpose. 
Castile is especially good. Common yellow or 
laundry soap should never be used. Neither should 
soap that contains rosin. 

Complete Detailed Instruction for Washing and 
Chemically Bleaching White Birds. 

The following method of washing and bleaching 
white birds is the recipe of a most successful 
exhibitor at the largest shows: — All white birds 
need to be washed before being sent to the show, 
and this should be done two or three days before 
being sent on their journey. To wash a white bird 
is a difficult thing, and may rightly be called an 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 19 

art. If it cannot be done right it had better not be 
done at all, for the birds will look very much better 
by not being touched than if they were washed and 
a bad job made of them. Those breeding white 
birds have often noticed when passing through a 
show, many white birds looking smoky in color, the 
feathers sticky and not sitting right, in fact look- 
ing very unwashed indeed. The trouble was that 
they had been washed by an inexperienced hand. 

The first thing necessary is to prepare the room 
for the work, and to start a good brisk fire in the 
stove. Remove all the unnecessary furniture, warm 
plenty of clear rain water, and set three good sized 
tubs in position around and close to the stove. One 
needs a good assistant, and no better can be found 
than a good patient woman. First, have all the 
birds ready so that no inconvenience will be caused 
by having to go to the henhouse for the specimens 
just when they are wanted. After having removed 
all the dirt on the feet if there be any, a good fan- 
ning is necessary so as to get all the dust out of 
the feathers that is possible before applying the 
water. 

Tub No. 1 should be filled half full of water luke- 
warm, as near blood heat as possible, or a little 
warmer will not hurt. Put the bird gently into the 
water, holding it there either by the feet of by the 
sides of the body, depending on its disposition. 

Just then the operator will have to exercise the 



20 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

highest of all virtues, patience. Take it easy for a 
while, hold the bird down in the water, partly im- 
mersed and in a while begin spraying water with a 
good sized sponge. With this rub the feathers well 
with the web as they lay ; never rub against the lay 
of the feathers. The best Avay to hold the bird in the 
water is, when seated on a chair close to the tub, to 
face .the bird towards you, and wash away from you. 
You v/ill not find it a very difficult job to get the 
feathers wet. After applying water with the sponge 
for a while, then begin using the soap. Castile or 
Ivory soap is good, but I always use Colgate's 
Shaving soap on my birds. With free use of water 
and soap get the feathers all over, neck, breast, back, 
cushion, thighs, wings and tail, as wet and soapy as 
you can. Use the sponge freely, and wet and wash 
the feathers right to the skin until you get all that 
dry and fluffy appearance out of them. Then they 
are properly wet. Continue rubbing with the 
sponge, and applying the soap, turning the feathers 
over and over gently and getting at the entire sur- 
face of ez'ery feather, if 3'ou can. It's a pretty big 
undertaking you will then find out. By so doing 
you will get all the dirt out of the feathers and the 
next step, no easy one either, is to get out all the 
soap. 

Tub No. 2 should be in waiting, half full of clean, 
lukewarm water, as before. Here the bird is put, as 
in No. 1, and washed thoroughly, so as to get out 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 21 

all the soap. After rubbing with the sponge, and 
using clean water freely, take a dipper and keep 
pouring the water out of the tub over the bird, let- 
ting it fall with a little force from about a foot above 
the bird. This will part the feathers and cleanse out 
the soap. Do this all over the bird. If you do it 
right one tub of this kind of work will be enough, 
but you can't make yourself too sure that you get 
out all the soap. 

Tub No. 3 should also be handy, and in it some 
cool water with just as much bluing as the good 
wife uses for bluing the white clothes. Into this 
the bird is put as before, and rinsed with the cool 
bluing water. The water should be just a little 
chilly. This is to prevent the bird from catching 
cold but as with yourself it must be rubbed well, 
just so that you will not damage the feathers. After 
going through these three operations, the bird is 
ready for drying, which is not by any means the 
least important part of the w^ork. 

After taking the bird from tub No. 3, put it on a 
board placed on top of a tub, and by means of the 
hands squeeze all the water out of its feathers you 
possibly can. Remove the bird then to the top of 
a box, or a chair, placed very close to a good brisk 
fire, and begin towelling it with warm dry towels 
so as to absorb all the moisture out of the feathers 
you can. After doing this so thoroughly that a dry 
towel will absorb but little moisture, if anv, take a 



32 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

sponge well wet with Hydrogen Peroxide, and apply 
this to all the feathers for a few minutes. Hydro- 
gen Peroxide (HgOo) is a good bleacher and helps 
to take out creaminess, if there be any, and there is 
always more or less in every white bird. It also 
gives the feathers a glossy and silky appearance. 
After dampening well with the bleacher put a few 
drops of ammonia on the sponge, and apply this all 
over, too. This stays the bleach, but must not be 
made too strong. Great care must be taken in not 
letting the peroxide get on the legs or beak, or it 
will bleach them, and this is not wanted, as they 
must retain their yellowness. 

Now the bird is ready for drying. Keep it before 
a brisk fire, but not so near as to curl the feathers, 
or you will spoil them so that it cannot be remedied. 
With a strong palm fan let the assistant begin the 
drying, first fanning one side and then the other. 
This part of the work is continued until the bird 
is thoroughly dry. The fire needs to be brisk, the 
bird being kept turned around and the fan going all 
the while, and it is surprising how soon the feathers 
will open out white, dry and flufify. The fluff, the 
back and under the wing will be the longest in dry- 
ing. Holding a wing up with one hand and fanning 
with the other, will soon make wonderful changes. 
If the work has been successful thus far, little 
difficulty will be experienced in getting the birds 
dry and putting on the finishing touches. 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 23 

Now we will suppose the bird is nice and dry, 
and that the feathers are free from stickiness of the 
soap. It is a difficult job to get the feathers wet 
and soapy, and a difficult one to get the soap out 
again. All it requires to accomplish both is time 
and patience, and good clean, Avarm w^ater. But if 
on drying it has been found that the feathers are 
sticky and do not open nice and flufify, which will 
not be the case if the work has been done right in 
the first place, put in order again another fresh pot 
of clean warm rain water, and rinse, blue, bleach 
and dry over again as before. 

After the birds have been thoroughly prepared, as 
I have outlined put them back in their coops again 
until ready to ship to the show . Have the coops 
specially clean ; clean dry saw dust is the best thing 
that one can use as it is thoroughly dry, clean, and 
of a nice odor. See that the birds are not put in 
drafts, as they will be liable to catch colds if not 
well taken care of. There is no danger if one exer- 
cises good management, as I have not in twelve 
years lost a single specimen through washing." 

How to Clean the Plumage of Parti-Colored Fowls 
For Show Without Washing. 

Take a clean white handkerchief and hold it over 
the steam from boiling water till it is quite moist. 
Go over the entire outer plumage of the bird, rub- 
bing it gently but constantly, enough to remove the 



2-i SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

dirt and brighten the plumage. A sponge dampened 
with ammonia may also be used to advantage at the 
same time. A week before the birds are to be shown 
confine them in large, clean, roomy coops or houses 
with plenty of clean straw for litter. 

Some Secrets About Eggs for Hatching. 

Destroying fertility. — It is commonly believed 
that occasionally an unscrupulous breeder may be 
found who will destroy the fertility of eggs sold 
for hatching. The plans and methods of detection 
are as follows. Dip the tgg in boiling water for two 
or three seconds. Such an ^gg when broken will 
show a thickened lining next to the shell in addi- 
tion to the regular skin. Dip the Qgg in kerosene 
for a moment allowing the oil to penetrate the pores 
of the shell. This is hard to detect but generally 
if the shell is wetted with Avater there will be a 
slight greasy appearance to it. Prick the small end 
of the Q^gg deepl}^ with the smallest size sewing- 
needle. Close examination will reveal the hole. 
Shake the tgg vigorously a half dozen times 
thereby breaking the lining at the large end and de- 
stroying the air cell. Testing the ^gg as in incu- 
bation will reveal the conditions. 
Washing Eggs During Incubation — If a sitting hen 
befouls her nest and the eggs are soiled, the ingress 
of pure air is lessened or entirely stopped and a 
healthy vigorous chick cannot be expected from 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 25 

such an egg. It should be washed lightly with only 
clear pure water warmed to blood heat or a little 
warmer. It should then be thoroughly dried and 
immediately placed under the hen to prevent 
chilling. 

Washing to Destroy Disease Germs. — The germs 
of White Diarrhoea and of other diseases are often 
communicated to the chick through contact with 
the shell of the egg. In cases where there is any 
reason to believe that this condition exists, the eggs 
before being set, may be washed in a 90 per cent 
solution of alcohol or thoroughly wiped with a 
clean cloth wet with alcohol. Oftentimes better 
hatches of more vigorous chicks may be obtained by 
pursuing this course. 

Length of time Eggs for Hatching May be Kept. 
— Eggs intended for hatching should be set as soon 
after they are layed as possible. They may be kept 
from four to six wrecks, but from two to three weeks 
should be the limit. They should be turned daily. 

Temperature at Which Eggs Should be Kept. — 
The temperature may be anywhere between 50 and 
70 degrees. The main j^oint is to have it uniform 
and not greatly varying from day to day. 

Preventing Brassiness from Appearing in White 
Birds. 

Brassiness will not appear in a specimen of the 
white varieties unless it is an inherited color char- 



2G SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

acteristic, but it is often brought out and intensified 
by continued exposure to the hot sun. Many breed- 
ers, therefore, not only keep their birds in shady 
places nearly all the time, but some confine them in 
half darkened pens for three or four weeks before 
showing them. 

How Black or Gray Specks in White Plumage are 
Hidden. 

Exhibitors have been known to cover up gray and 
black specks in white birds by soiling the plumage 
where the specks appear. It is done by rubbing the 
web of the feathers between the thumb and fore- 
finger which have been moistened and lightly 
touched to dust or dirt. This gives the feather the 
appearance of having been accidently soiled in some 
way and the main defect is easily overlooked. 

How Certain Foods Affect Creaminess and Brassi- 
ness in White Fowls. 

Brassiness in white fowls is not the result of feed- 
ing any special articles of food, as for instance 
yellow corn. Creaminess in the quill and under color 
of plumage is sometimes influenced by food, but 
it is also a natural condition of "unripe" plumage 
or of feathers that have not reached their full 
growth and become seasoned. Yellow corn, which 
is so strongly condemned by many breeders of 
white fowls, will color the "sap" in feathers, just 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 37 

as will any other diet of a fattening nature and even 
an abundant supply of grass or other growing vege- 
tation in summer will have a tendency to increase 
creaminess. This creamy color can be reduced to 
the minimum by regulating the food supply in 
harmony with the rules above outlined. Cease feed- 
ing fattening foods a few weeks before exhibiting 
the birds and endeavor to have the plumage fully 
ripened before showing. 

A Feeding Formula for Forcing Growth and Bone 
Development in Chicks Intended for Show- 
ing and Breeding. 

Cracked wheat, 25 parts, pinhead oatmeal, 15 
parts, millet seed, 10 parts, cracked corn, 10 parts, 
granulated charcoal, 5 parts, chick size grit, 10 
parts, buckwheat, 5 parts, rape seed, 5 parts, broken 
rice, 5 parts, cracked peas, 5 parts, and ground beef 
scraps or other meat meal, 5 parts. Some of these 
are not easily obtainable in all localities and the mix- 
ture should be made with the ingredients at hand 
and considering cost. 

Feeding to Produce a Darker Shade of Buff. 

In all methods of color feeding, persistence is 
required in order to produce any noticeable effect, 
if, in fact, any is really produced. The constant 
feeding of hemp seed while the plumage is growing 
is supposed to darken the plumage of buff fowls. A 



28 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

popular feed used by breeders of canary birds and 
many English poultry fanciers is sweet or tasteless 
ca3^enne fed in small quantities constantly from 
hatching time to maturity or till the feathers have 
reached their full growth. 

What to Feed to Promote Feather Growth. 
Linseed meal, oil meal, oil cake, sunflower seed 
and other like feeds will grow feathers rapidl}^. 

Tonic for Maintaining Health and Appetite in Show 
Birds and to Counteract the Effects of Confinement. 

One of the most important things to know is how 
to keep up the health and appetite of birds while on 
exhibition and to counteract the evil effects of con- 
tinued confinement. An excellent tonic and ''con- 
ditioner" is as follows : One-half ounce each of 
carbonate of iron, pulverized gentian root, black 
antimony, mandrake, ginger, flowers of sulphur and 
powdered charcoal, two ounces of bicarbonate of 
soda. j\lix thoroughly and place one teaspoonful 
in each quart of soft food. 

A Good Stimulant and Preventive of Colds in Birds 
Shipped to Shows in Extreme Cold Weather. 

Mix equal parts of sugar syrup and brandy and 
give the bird a teaspoonful when cooped and ready 
to start. A like amount may also be given upon 
arrival at the show. Molasses may be used instead 
of the syrup and whiskey or rum in place of brandy. 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 29 

How to Add Lustre to Plumage of Dark Colored 
Fowls. 

Some very successful breeders give their birds red 
carbonate of iron for the purpose of adding lustre 
or sheen to the plumage. A teaspoonful is placed in 
sufficient mash food for twelve fowls and this is fed 
three times per week. It should not be given to 
white fowls. Beef tallow fed to exhibition fowls 
is supposed to assist in putting gloss on the plum- 
age. 

One of the Causes of Off-Colored Feathers in Parti- 
Colored and Black Fowls. How to Remedy 
the Defect. 

Parti-colored and black fowls occasionally de- 
velop an off-colored feather as a result of serious 
debilitating illness or an injury to the plumage, as 
for instance, the base of the quill becoming broken 
or injured. The secret of remedying the matter is 
to pull broken feathers promptly and to remove 
others as soon as the foreign color is observed. The 
feathers will usually grow again true to color. 

How to Increase Gloss, Sheen and Depth of Color 
In Moulting Male Birds. 

In order to bring out the highest perfection of 
the plumage as regards gloss, sheen, color, etc., the 
male bird should not be kept constantly with the 
hens during the moulting period. Not only is it 



30 SECRETS OP EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

detrimental along the above lines, but the male 
seems to moult more slowly and the plumage in 
most cases is not properly finished. 

Securing Depth of Color and Gloss of Plumage. 
Plumage will lose much of its gloss and the color 
becomes "dead" if the bird is repeatedly exposed to 
alternate rains and hot sun. This applies with 
special force to moulting fowls. 

Preventing Purple Barring in Black Fowls. 
Purple barring is largely a natural defect but 
some of it is caused by conditions that can be pre- 
vented. The secret of eliminating it as nearly as 
possible is to adopt methods of care and feeding 
which will prevent checking the growth of the 
plumage of maturing young stock or of old stock 
while moulting. Any form of illness or long ex- 
posure to chilling weather or lack of sufficient food 
for a few days checks the growth. This alternate 
stopping and starting again in the growing of the 
plumage has a tendency to increase the ofif-color. 
The most successful exhibitors are careful to avoid 
these conditions. 

How White Tips are Sometimes Removed from 
Barred Rock Plumage. 

It is claimed that small white tips may be re- 
moved from barred feathers by skillfully burning 
the ends. Something must be used similar to a red 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 3i 

hot piece of metal or a lighted cigar as a flame of 
any kind cannot be properly controlled. The charred 
or singed ends of the feathers should be smoothed 
out between the thumb and finger. This method of 
faking is generally easy of detection as the ends of 
the feathers are apt to present a ragged appearance. 

How Feathers are Spliced. 

The practice of splicing feathers is not practic- 
able except in the case of sickle or main tail feathers. 
Oif-colored feathers in all other sections except the 
wing are generally plucked out entirely and the 
wing feathers are so much exposed to view and 
are in such constant use that a spliced feather is not 
apt to remain intact very long. The method of 
splicing sickles and main tail feathers is to cut ofif 
the feather clear down to the skin. Sometimes the 
flesh is loosened around the stub of the quill and 
the edges of it scraped off till they are below the 
skin. The new feather is then pushed down into 
the stub firmly. Liquid glue or some strong ad- 
hesive substance is generally placed upon the end 
of the feather before inserting, it. 

How the Plumage of Red Birds is Treated to Secure 
a Darker Shade of Color and Lustre. 

A solution of Permanganate of Potasium is some- 
times used in securing greater depth of color in red 
fowls. It is an antiseptic used by surgeons for 



32 SECRETS OE EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

cleansing their hands and is of a clear, purplish red 
that stains readily. The bird should be washed in 
the usual way after which the plumage should be 
dampened all over wdth the potasium solution and 
then permitted to dry. If skillfully done it will 
greatly heighten the color and lustre of plumage. 
In order to secure the proper strength of the solu- 
tion the operator should experiment upon a few 
plucked feathers of the fowl to be treated. A 
saturated solution of oxalic acid is used for remov- 
ing the stain from the hands. The acid is pur- 
chased in crystal form and just enough placed in a 
quantity of water that the water will completely 
take up or diasolve. 

How Dark Streaks are Removed from the Quill of 
White Feathers. 

The quill is rubbed with pumice stone till the 
foreign color is removed and the surface is then 
treated by rubbing prepared chalk into it. 

How Foreign Color is Removed from the Edges of 
Large Feathers. 

Foreign color or lacing on the extreme edges of 
feathers are sometimes removed by wearing away 
the edge with pumice stone. In such cases there 
is a more or less fringed or frayed appearance to 
the feather, but this is usually claimed to be due 
to the fowls constantly brushing up against the wire 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 33 

netting or the rough boards in the runs in which 
they have been confined. 

Covering up Off-Color in Black Plumage Including 
Purple Barring. 

The most common color defects in the plumage 
of black fowls are gray or white tips. These are 
covered up by applications of india-ink, lamp-black 
or ghaphite, the latter perhaps being used most fre- 
quently. With a little practice, one can become 
sufficiently expert in applying these dyes, that they 
cannot be detected unless suspected and thorough 
examining tests made. Purple barring in black 
fowls is sometimes lessened in appearance by the 
use of graphite. 

How to Improve the Color of any Parti-Colored 
Birds. 

Many breeders who would not acknowledge it 
are often guilty of plucking off-colored feathers. 
In all laced, spangled, penciled or barred varieties, 
the appearance of a bird as regards color can gener- 
ally be much improved in neck, breast and body by 
skillful feather-pulling. The only caution necessary 
is to refrain from plucking so many feathers in 
close proximity to each other that an examination 
of the skin will indicate that the feathers have been 
unnaturally moulted. Care is also taken that har- 
mony of surface color as presented by the over- 



34 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

lapping of the feathers is not destroyed to such an 
extent that detection is possible. 

Putting Birds in Show Condition that Have Missing 
or Broken Feathers in Main Tail or Wing. 

Large feathers such as those of the main tail or 
of the wings may be pulled and new ones will take 
their places in from four to six weeks. Sometimes 
this practice is prompted by reasons that are entirely 
honest and legitimate, as in the case of part of a 
feather being broken off accidentally. 

Why Some Male Birds are Slow in Growing Their 
Sickles and How to Avoid it. 

Cockerels are slow to grow the sickle feathers of 
the tail if they are kept in a pen or a run with an old 
cock bird. This is one of the results of the younger 
birds being "cowed" continually by the old bird. 

How to Artificially Moult Fowls in Nearly Half the 
Regular Time. 
In midsummer or at just about the time a bird is 
beginning to moult, the process can be greatly 
hastened by plucking a few feathers from it every 
day or two. The main tail feathers and the large 
feathers of the wing may be removed by degrees 
but no feathers should be pulled that are not entire- 
ly ripe. If a bloody fluid appears after the feather 
is removed, it is an indication that the feather is 
not ready to be moulted. A little observation and 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 35 

practice will enable the breeder to readily know 
without plucking a feather, whether or not it is 
ready to be removed. Plucking the feathers opens 
the way for new ones and they grow in much more 
rapidly. 

Points that Aid in Distinguishing Pullets Entered 
for Exhibition as Hens. 

In some cases there is no test that will furnish 
absolute proof but many times a combination of 
points existing in connection with a bird are prac- 
tically infallible evidence. Some of these are bright- 
ness and freshness of plumage, youthful freshness 
of face, eyes and other head points, pink veins 
discernible beneath the skin under the wings, skin 
that is not so coarse and dry looking as in hens. 
Skill in telling the age of fowls comes largely from 
experience in handling them. 

How to Properly Pick up and Hold a Fowl that the 
Plumage May not be Broken. 

Reach for the bird with the right hand, thrusting 
the hand under the left wing and grasping it firmly 
at the base where it joins the body. Draw the bird 
toward you in this manner till your left hand can 
be thrust between the legs. Let the left hand rest 
against the keel bone with the right leg between the 
first and middle fingers and the left leg between the 
middle and third fingers. The bird will then rest 



36 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

upon the forearm with the head toward you. This 
leaves your right hand free for handling the plum- 
age, etc. 

How to Increase the Vigor of Male Birds and In- 
crease the Fertility of Eggs. 

Male birds that seemingly lack vigor in the breed- 
ing pen or that appear to have passed their period 
of usefulness may often be brought into prime con- 
dition by administering doses of cantharides. Con- 
sult a physician for quantity and frequency of doses. 
Tincture of Damiana is a milder tonic and can be 
given once a week. The dose is one teaspoonful. 

A Frequent Cause of Brassy Colored Stain on 
White Birds. 

Many birds are ruined for show purposes by 
allowing them to constantly run through tall weeds 
of various kinds. The weeds become broken or 
bruised and the sap imparts a greenish brassy color 
to the plumage. 

What Novices Need to Know About Culling Flocks 
of Black, Buff and Red Fowls for Color Defects. 

Many of the very choicest and most valuable ex- 
hibition and breeding birds in Black, Buff and Red 
varieties of fowls show many off-colored feathers 
until they are from three to six months of age. 
Black fowls often have considerable white in the 
plumage. Buff fowls may have much white and 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 37 

black in them and red fowls also show white and 
black. The safest plan for amateurs to follow is to 
keep all their young stock till it is five or six months 
of age except such as are culls unmistakably. 

The Points in Breeding that Specially Influence 
Size and Those that Influence Color. 

Many experienced breeders hold the idea that 
greater size can be bred into a flock of fowls through 
the medium of the male bird than through the 
females and that greater progress along the line of 
color perfection is to be obtained through the 
females. This means that if we mate a pair of 
birds, both of which are equally meritorious in 
size and color, the male bird will be found more 
prepotent in transmitting his size than his color and 
that the female will stamp her color upon the 
progeny in a more pronounced degree than she 
will her size. 

The Cause of Infertile Eggs from Many Show Birds. 

The secret of poor results in the breeding pen 
from birds that have been exhibited is usually that 
the confinement in the show coops has been too 
long. Three consecutive weeks of show room con- 
finement and treatment will injure most birds. The 
best posted exhibitors will not risk more than a 
week without an intermission of about the same 
period. 



38 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

How to Put Exhibition Plumage upon Houdans 
that are too Dark for Show Purposes. 

If nicely colored Houdans are wanted in their 
second year or as cocks and hens, it is generally 
necessary to have them almost black when they 
are cockerels and pullets and far too black for show 
purposes. Such cockerels and pullets are developed 
into show birds by going all over the plumage a 
few weeks before the show and plucking^ little 
bunches of five or six feathers here and there. 
These feathers grow in again quickly and many 
of them are nicely tipped with white. 

An Important Point in Developing Extra Size and 
Early Maturity. 

The simple plan of separating the sexes at as ear- 
ly a date as they can be ascertained will produce 
wonders in development if the birds are penned 
away from each other and not in close proximity 
as they would be if placed in adjoining runs. Here 
is a condition where the breeder who can give his 
birds free range, has the advantage. 

The Time When a Pullet is in Best Condition for 
Showing. 

Experienced exhibitors know that there is a 
certain period in the life of a pullet when the fresh- 
ness, the bloom of youth, the greatest vigor and 
stateliness of carriage are all present in the greatest 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 39 

degree. That time is from one to three weeks be- 
fore she has laid her first egg. Therefore, when it 
is possible to do so, selection for show purposes 
should be made with these points in mind. Pullets 
can, to some extent, be held back from starting to 
lay, by changing them to different quarters weekly 
or oftener. 

How Certain Kinds of Perches Spoil the Tail 
Plumage. 

The tail feathers of exhibition fowls are often 
more or less rough or ragged along the edge of the 
web because of the perches being so close to the 
wall of the poultry house that the tails of the birds 
are constantly rubbed against the walls or crushed 
against them. The perches should be so far away 
from the wall that the feathers cannot touch it. 

How to Clean Paint from Birds that Have Come in 
Contact with Newly Painted Coops or Houses. 

Saturate a cloth with benzine and rub the feath- 
ers with it, using a clean portion of the cloth with 
each stroke. The feathers themselves may be 
saturated with the liquid if they are badly stained. 

Proper Size for Exhibition Coops and the Color 
Which Shows White Fowls to Best Advantage. 

Exhibition coops should not be less than 28 inches 
deeg, 30 inches high and 20 inches long. A coop 
24 inches long will do for two ordinary sized birds. 



40 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

Coops should be painted light blue for white fowls 
and if cloth covered all around, it is advisable to 
use heavy goods that can also be painted or dyed 
light blue. 

How Sickle Feathers are Shortened Without 
Clipping the Ends. 

The main sickles of male birds and the main tail 
feathers of both males and females are sometimes 
shortened by cutting out the surplus at a point 
near the base of the feather and splicing it as ex- 
plained upon another page under the head, "How 
Feathers are Spliced." 

How to Prevent Color Cuts on Plumage by Stop- 
ping the Flow of Blood from Comb Wattles, 
Etc., when Injured in the Show Room. 

In dressing wounds, and especially those about 
the comb and head caused from fighting or other 
form of injury, use cobwebs applied freely to the 
bleeding places. Fuller's Earth is perhaps the best 
remedy, but it is not always easily obtained. Alum 
or powdered tannin are also excellent articles for 
this purpose. One or more of these articles are 
carried by many exhibitors in the show room for 
immediate use in case they are needed. They lessen 
the unsightly appearance of injured parts and re- 
duce to a minimum the quantity of blood on the 
plumage. Blood stains on plumage are often the 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 41 

cause of cuts for color and especially if an effort 
has been made to wash the blood from the plumage 
or if the comb, head, wattles, etc., have been washed 
and the bloody water has run down upon the neck 
plumage, which, in white fowls, has the appearance 
of brassiness. 

How Unscrupulous Exhibitors Have Been Known 

to Prevent a Competitor's Birds from 

Showing Properly. 

Unscrupulous breeders have been know^n to 
"doctor" the birds of their competitors in the show 
room and prevent them from winning, by giving the 
bird a four or five grain capsule of whiskey an hour 
or two before the judging. The effect upon the 
bird is the dropping of the head and tail and a gen- 
eral appearance of lassitude or illness in which con- 
dition the judge cannot intelligently pass upon it 
for shape. 

How to Add Weight to Exhibition Birds Quickly. 

Many a bird of superior merit fails to win be- 
cause of the severe cut for shortage of weight. 
Generally a pound or pound and a half can be added 
to a bird by expert feeding. The special feeding 
should begin about four to six weeks before the 
bird is to be shown and it should be confined in a 
small pen or a big roomy coop. One feed each day 
should be a mash, the greater portion of which 



43 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

should consist of two or more of the following 
articles : boiled rice, boiled potatoes, cornmeal, bar- 
ley meal, buckwheat meal. Bran, wheat middlings, 
ground oats, etc., may form a small percentage of 
the total bulk. Five per cent of beef tallow, lin- 
seed meal or cotton seed meal should be added. Mix 
the mash with whole or skim milk, the former pre- 
ferred. Give sweetened water to drink. Two other 
feeds per day should be given, consisting of corn, 
barley or buckwheat. An ample supply of grit 
should be kept before the birds. With the variety 
of foods here specified, the breeder can avoid feed- 
ing the same mash or the same whole grains two 
days in succession. The object should be to not 
cloy the appetite of the birds by continued feeding 
of the same rations. They should be given a good 
tonic or condition powder to counteract the ill ef- 
fects of forcing, although some birds will not need 
it. The following is used by a number of experts . 
One ounce each of fenugreek, mandrake, ginger and 
gentian root with four ounces of bicarbonate of 
soda ; mix thoroughly and place one teaspoonful in 
each quart of mash food. 

How to Make a Bird of Its Own Accord Pose in 
the Show Coop. 

The secret of having birds tame and in condition 
that they will pose in the show coop is to properly 
train them for a few weeks before showing. Place 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 43 

them in a coop similar to the exhibition coop and 
handle them often. Feed them in these coops and 
hold choice bits of food such as meat, etc., near the 
top of the coop so that they are compelled to reach 
for it. Many a good bird loses first prize because it 
is wild and the judge cannot get it to assume a 
natural position. 

The Acid Method of Dyeing White Feathers Black. 
The following method requires experience and 
expert handling. Dissolve one-half ounce of nitrate 
of silver in two ounces of concentrated ammonia. 
Dissolve one-half ounce of gum arabic in one-third 
of a pint of water. These two solutions should then 
be thoroughly mixed. Next, dissolve one-fourth of 
an ounce of gallic acid in a half pint of alcohol and 
then add a pint of water. The feather or feathers to 
be colored should be thoroughly clean and it is best 
to wash them. After they are dry apply the sec- 
ond solution containing the gallic acid, soaking 
the feather thoroughly. Dry it with a clean cloth 
and then apply the first solution. After this has 
become dry, the feather may then be washed in 
order to remove the rough appearance of the color- 
ing. 



What is Legitimate Show Prepara- 
tion and What is Faking 



It would seem at first thought, that nothing could 
be easier than to draw the line between honesty 
and dishonesty in preparing birds for the show 
room. But in this as in all other things, we must 
consider the views of many different minds and as 
all people will not think alike we are confronted 
with conditions which require special rules and 
ethical standards. In the glossary of technical 
terms in the American Poultry Association's Stand- 
ard of Perfection, the word faking is defined as "any 
self-evident attempt on the part of an exhibitor to 
deceive the judge and thus obtain an unfair advan- 
tage in competition." In connection with this defi- 
nition, a few specific items are mentioned, such as 
removing side sprigs, trimming combs, artificial 
coloring of plumage, staining of legs, etc. These 
methods are unquestionably open to criticism and 
are properly termed faking, but there are many 
other practices which are not mentioned by the 
Standard and about which there is considerable 
difference of opinion. 

The definition given by the Standard is not liter- 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 45 

ally followed by fanciers and never will be. Take 
as an' example the washing of white fowls and the 
use of common **wash blue" in the water used for 
rinsing the plumage. The use of this "blue" serves 
lo make the plumage whiter than it really is. This, 
therefore, is changing the color of the plumage, even 
though the change is hardly perceptible although it 
is quite so when skilfully done. Under a strict in- 
terpretation of the Standard law this is an attempt 
to deceive the judge and is taking unfair advantage 
of other exhibitors who do not prepare their birds 
in that way. Still, there is not the slightest 
criticism from any source, of the washing of 
white birds in this manner and in fact amateur 
fanciers are taught through poultry journals and 
books, how to do it to best advantage. The most 
honorable and respected fanciers have repeatedly 
explained it over their signatures, in the columns 
of the poultry press. 

Custom, therefore, decrees that you can fake a 
little but not too much. The question is, how much ? 
There are many other little items of show prepara- 
tion that are fully approved and that come within 
the same range as the use of bluing in washing 
white birds. Then there are some others just a little 
further removed from these and which come under 
the head of "doubtful" practices, as for instance, 
the removal of black feathers from Barred Rocks in 
all sections except wings and tail. There should be 



46 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

no attempt to deceive the uninformed in regard to 
the true conditions. It is rank folly to deny that 
some of the best Barred Rocks ever bred have had 
a few black feathers in them and that these feathers 
are plucked from many of the prize winning birds 
at our largest shows. If we take the Standard to 
mean just what it says, this is faking, but by com- 
mon consent of fanciers it is considered legitimate 
faking if we may use that term. It is in the con- 
sideration of items of this character, where we meet 
with difficulty in drawing the line between honesty 
and dishonesty. It is not honest to pluck these 
black feathers except that there is an unwritten 
law making it honest. Then, the breeder of White 
Wyandottes, White Rocks or some other white vari- 
eties comes to the front and wants to know why it 
is that the Barred Rock breeder may pluck black 
feathers from Barred Rocks and the breeder of white 
varieties is branded as a faker if he pulls a feather 
or two that may have just a few specks of black in 
it. His question is right to the point but no one 
can give a satisfactory reply and he therefore, takes 
the matter into his own hands and generally re- 
moves the of¥-colored feathers. Other cases might 
be mentioned involving other similar defects but the 
above will serve as an example. 

The question is, what can be done to harmonize 
conditions and to eliminate all doubt as to what is 
faking and what is not. There ought to be some 



• AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 47 

way to give everybody a chance. There are not as 
many rascals in the fancy poultry business as some 
people would have us believe. There are thousands 
of breeders who would not do anything to take an 
unfair advantage or that would conflict with their 
conscientious views of the matter but some things 
are justifiable in self defense and with no absolute 
or specific guide to govern all breeders, there exists 
an elasticity which leads us into paths in which we 
would not like to be seen. 

The way matters stand at the present time, there 
are too many questions which are left to the judg- 
ment of breeders and there is too wide a difference 
of opinion among them as to what is fair and what 
is not. 




A Little Advice to Exhibitors 



Concerning Judging. 

Don't under any circumstances feel that the judge 
is prejudiced against you. This feeling causes harsh 
words, trouble and much unpleasantness in every 
way for all concerned. If you must think that this 
condition might exist, don't show your birds under 
such a judge. Keep them at home. 



Always maintain your dignity and self-respect by 
acting like a gentleman or a lady. An open demon- 
stration of anger and uncomplimentary remarks 
concerning the judge, the association or other ex- 
hibitors, will turn people against you and you lose 
the support you hope to gain. 



Remember that judges are human like yourself 
and that they sometimes make mistakes just as 
3^ou do and just as you would if you were doing the 
judging. Even our most learned judges in the high- 
est courts of law, sometimes make mistakes. 



If it is clearly evident that the judge has made a 
mistake, go to him and in a pleasant way, ask him 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 49 

if he has not made an error. If you can show that 
he has and he refuses to correct it, you then have 
cause for reporting the matter to the proper show 
officials. 



Never make a formal signed protest unless you 
are absolutely sure of your ground. Very few pro- 
tests, if any, are ever sustained and your failure to 
prove your case will hurt you much more than the 
loss of a prize. 



If you have any complaints to make, choose the 
proper time for it and do not condemn the judge 
till you have given him a chance to explain. 



Remember that the judge must pass upon the 
birds just as he finds them in the coop. He cannot 
take into consideration that your bird while in your 
yards at home carried its tail lower or that its comb 
was straight or that it stood in a more natural posi- 
tion showing a better shaped back, breast, neck, 
etc. He must judge the birds just as he finds them 
and he has very little time to try to make them 
pose. 



Do not direct a rapid fire of questioning at the 
judge while he is doing his work unless he is willing 
to have you do so. Some judges cannot keep their 
minds on several things at the same time and the 



50 SEC RUTS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

answering of questions diverts their thought from 
their work and they are apt to make mistakes. 



Some judges are more courteous and obUging 
than others and show a greater interest in ansv/er- 
ing questions and helping breeders with advice. You 
ought to use your influence in having these judges 
employed by associations where you hold member- 
ship. This is one way of getting satisfactory judg- 
ing. 



Learn to be a cheerful loser. Everybody cannot 
win. Some must lose. Don't be blind to the de- 
fects in your birds. Don't magnify their good 
points. Criticise them just as you would if they 
belonged to your competitor. 



Get all that is due you from the judge, no more, 
no less. Ignorance, arrogance, incompetency and a 
disregard for the rights of exhibitors should not be 
tolerated. A judge should be more than willing 
to discuss grievances and try to show a dissatisfied 
exhibitor that his decisions are correct and he ought 
to cheerfully and promptly correct any mistake that 
may have been made. 



After you and your competitors have spent 
months at home and hours in the show room exam- 
ining various specimens, weighing their defects and 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 51 

dwelling upon their good points, don't expect the 
judge, to form in a minute the impressions you 
have formed in months. He sees the birds just at 
the time, and a short time at that. 



Concerning Show Preparation. 

If you do not give a little special attention to pre- 
paring your birds for the show, you cannot expect 
to get the same results as a breeder who does. 



A bird picked right up out of the yards without 
having received any special fitting can always be 
improved in some ways. 



The coat may not make the man, but fine feathers 
and stylish carriage certainly make the show bird. 
You can control this to a large extent. White birds 
ought to be washed, and black, bufif and parti-col- 
ored birds should also have their plumage cleaned 
as explained on another page. 



Birds that are wild and object to being handled 
will not assume a natural position in the show coop 
when the judge approaches it and he, therefore, 
cannot do them justice in judging their shape. 



Birds intended for showing should be handled 
and put in show condition weeks before the show. 
He who waits till the last minute is apt to see his 



52 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

competitor awarded the prizes unless both are neg- 
ligent in this respect. 



Birds with scaly legs should be treated for this 
defect a long time before the show. Applications 
of lard and kerosene will cure bad cases. 



Broken feathers in win^s and tail are the points 
that often lose the prize to otherwise winning speci- 
mens and these broken feathers are nearly always 
the result of causes which might have been pre- 
vented. Coops should be ample in size, too many 
birds should not be crowded together and in other 
ways care should be taken to prevent broken feath- 
ers. All small feathers that are broken should be 
plucked. 



Don't go to extremes in preparing birds for the 
show. Bungling jobs of preparation are worse than 
none at all. Combs and legs smeared with vaseline, 
etc., half washed plumage, feathers full of corn meal 
or starch, dirty plumage soiled with droppings, 
dried blood on combs and wattles, bloody or greasy 
plumage about the head and many other similar 
things will cause a bird to lose considerable on con- 
dition. 



Do not exhibit a bird that is out of condition 
physically. Confinement in the show room will ag- 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 53 

gravate illness of any kind and the bird will seldom 
if ever win a prize. 



It is astonishing how careless the average ex- 
hibitor is in examining the birds to be sent to the 
show. Many birds are disqualified for defects which 
the judge finds readilv and which have been entirely 
overlooked by the exhibitor. If you do not know 
what defects are disqualifications in your variety, 
make it your business to find out what they are and 
then take a little pains to examine each bird care- 
fully. What is the use paying entry fees simply to 
have your birds disqualified? Better save the money 
and buy a copy of the Standard of Perfection. 



If it is too much trouble for you to work with 
your birds and put them in best show condition, 
you are not a real fancier. It is a sign of success 
when you reach the point where handling the birds 
and fitting them for the show is a pleasure instead 
of a task. 



Concerning Relations with Associations. 

Read the rules of the show as printed in the Pre- 
mium List and then abide by them. A strict en- 
forcement of the rules is absolutely necessary for 
the success of the show. 



Get your entry blanks made out and into the 



54 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

hands of the secretary in time. This will often save 
you a great amount of trouble and inconvenience. 



If you are not in attendance at the show, don't 
expect the secretary to ascertain and mail to you 
the scores of your birds or what they won or other 
similar information before the close of the show. 
He has his hands full every moment of the time. 



Don't ask the judge for your score cards or to 
let you handle them. He has no right to give them 
to anyone except the secretary of the show. Don't 
ask the secretary to give them to you till they have 
been entered upon the books of the Association and 
the prizes are all awarded. 



Remember that there are dozens of other exhib- 
itors who are just as much interested as you are 
and that the showing of favoritism in an)^ way by 
the officials is a sure way to create dissatisfaction 
that will hurt the show. 



Don't handle the birds of other exhibitors without 
their permission. You don't want every Tom, Dick 
and Harry handling yours, do you? 



After your class has been judged, don't expect 
the show officials to stop the rest of the work to 
figure out your awards and get up your ribbons. 
There are other classes which should be judged just 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 55 

as promptly as yours. The man with the bantams 
and the ducks paid his entry fees just the same as 
you did. 



Don't complain of mismanagement of the show 
unless there is good reason for it and then ^o to 
the officials first. Remember that some things will 
go wrong no matter how hard the officers work to 
prevent it. As a general rule everybody is over- 
worked at a poultry show. 



Take your chances on getting your birds in a 
good position in the show room. Everybody can- 
not get in a good, light location or in the most desir- 
able part of the show room. 



Take advantage of all privileges that are right- 
fully due you. See that your birds are properly 
cared for. Don't hesitate to ask for proper infor- 
mation upon any matter that concerns you and if 
you can't get all that is coming to you, kick vigor- 
ously, but above all things be sure, absolutely sure, 
that you are right and then proceed in a dignified 
and gentlemanly way. 



If you are a member of an association, don't stay 
away from the meetings and then criticise the 
actions of those who bear the burdens. Help push. 
Have a voice in the affairs of the organization, but 
have it at the proper time. 



Easy Lessons in Judging — No. 1 



Much more rapid progress would be made by 
breeders if they would learn to score or judge their 
fowls. It is a comparatively easy matter to master 
one variety if we have had two or three years' ex- 
perience in breeding it. After we learn the one va- 
riety, all others of the same breed will not prove 
much of a task because they are all alike in shape, 
the difference being in color or shape of comb. 

The first point to fix in the mind is that each sec- 
tion of the fowl is allotted a certain number of 
points and that the total is one hundred. For in- 
stance, in the American class, which includes all 
varieties of Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Rhode 
Island Reds, etc., symmetry, which means the har- 
monious relation of all sections of a fowl one with 
another, as regards shape, is valued at 8 points. 
Weight is given 6 points, Condition 4, Head 6, Comb 
S, Wattles and Ear Lobes 6, Neck 9, Back 12, Breast 
10, Body and Fluff 6, Wings 10, Tail 9, Legs and 
Toes 6, making a total of 100 points. Some of these 
sections are divided, as for example the neck, which 
is given 9 points, with 3 for shape and 6 for color. 
The method of scoring a fowl is to determine in 
one's mind just how defective it is in each section 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 57 

and deduct this percentage of defect from the total 
number of points given to the section. If a bird 
should be absolutely perfect in shape and color of 
all sections it would score 100 points, because there 
would be no deductions to be made. If it should 
be perfect in all sections except comb and the comb 
was 25 per cent defective, the cut would be 25 per 
cent of the 8 points allotted to comb, which would 
be 2 points. This deducted from 100 would leave 98 
points, which would be the score of the bird. The 
same rule is followed with each section and after 
the per cent or the amount of defect in all the sec- 
tions is determined, the total is deducted from 100, 
which gives the score of the bird. 

The Standard has placed a valuation upon a great 
many specific defects in all varieties and this makes 
it easier for the amateur judge to do correct work, 
and it also aids in producing harmony of ideas 
among the older judges. In the case of single 
combs, the Standard specifies a cut of % for each 
point (or spike) more or less than five, because each 
point is valued at 1/2. In all single comb varieties 
except Minorcas the comb should have five perfect 
shaped points. The total value of these points at i/^ 
each is 2i/^. The total value of the comb in the 
American class, as previously stated, is 8 points, 
which leaves 514 points for general size and shape, 
not including the spikes. If the comb contains seven 
spikes instead of five it would have to be discountecl 



58 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

1 point for the two extra spikes. If it was only half 
as good in other ways as a perfect comb there would 
be an additional discount of half of 514 points, which 
would be 2^4 points, which added to the 1 point 
discount for extra spikes would make the total dis- 
count or cut ZYa. Some of the defects usually 
found in combs in addition to too many or too few 
spikes are coarseness of texture, which should be 
cut % to 1 point ; thumb marks, 1 to 2 points ; rear 
of comb turning around, 1 point; too large, % to 
11/2 points; too thin or too thick at the base, 1/0 to 

2 points, and lopping over (not sufficient to disqual- 
ify), 1 to 3 points. 

With all these defects to be considered, it should 
be an easy matter for any experienced breeder to 
understand that a cut of 1 point for comb is excep- 
tionally light, and that not one comb in a thousand 
or more can consistently be passed with a cut of % 
or perhaps ^, and yet it is a common occurrence 
for exhibitors to look "daggers at the judge if an 
extra good comb is cut more than 14. A 3 point 
cut on comb is an exceptional one in the show room 
to-day, and a 4 point cut is so seldom that an in- 
stance may not be found in several shows selected 
at random. But under a strict interpretation of the 
Standard, 3 point cuts should be quite frequent. 
There is undoubtedly a tendency to score birds too 
high, but the evil is one that cannot be eliminated 
by the influence of one or two judges without en- 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 59 

tailing an injustice and great loss to the exliibitors 
affected. Two breeders exhibiting at different shows 
may have birds of practically the same quality and 
in fact this is the rule in thousands of cases. If the 
judge at one show is a ''hard cutter," discounting 
the birds severely, and if the judge at the other show 
is a liberal one, giving high scores, the breeder who 
receives the low scores is at a great disadvantage, 
as he is compelled to advertise a score of 94, for in- 
stance, when his competitor can advertise 95, thus 
Vv^rongfully influencing buyers to the detriment of 
the breeder with the low score. There is need for 
a greater uniformity in judging, and it is bound to 
come sooner or later. 




Easy Lessons in Judging — No- 2 



In order to convey to the uninformed reader a 
clearer idea of the method used in scoring, we shall 
endeavor to point out the defects in the shape of 
the bird here illustrated and will specify the proper 
cuts, explaining the method of arriving at them. 
The principle is the same in scoring all breeds and 
varieties. 

Among the rarest things in the show room is a 
Leghorn male of any variety, that can be called 
Standard type. This is particularly true as regards 
shape of back. The back seems to be a feature that 
will not come right, no matter how hard breeders 
try to get it. The Standard shape of Leghorns is 
the same for all varieties both Single and Rose 
Comb and including Brown, White, Buff, Black and 
Silver Duckwing. The Standard describes the shape 
of back as follows, ''of medium length, the saddle 
rising in a short, concave sweep to tail ; saddle 
feathers long." In the scale of points, the back is 
allowed three for shape and four for color. This is 
one portion of the Standard that certainly needs 
revising. Think of only three points for the shape 
of a Leghorn back when the legs and toes are valued 
at seven, more than twice as much. Other com- 




Rose Comb Brown Leghorn male, referred to in Lesson No. 2, 
pages 60 to 64 inclusive 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 61 

parisons of Leghorn sections are just as striking. 
The Plymouth Rock back is allowed six points for 
shape and the Leghorn back is infinitely harder to 
breed perfect but it is given only half the number 
of points. 

The bird shown in this connection is a Rose Comb 
Brown Leghorn male. It will be noted that he is 
not standing in a natural position such as he would 
assume if at liberty in the yard under ordinary cir- 
cumstances. He is in a somewhat crouching posi- 
tion with neck and tail lowered but this is in his 
favor when offering criticism of his back because 
if he were standing naturally his neck would be 
thrown upward and backward and his tail would 
be elevated. This change of position would cause 
his back to appear straighter and more of an angle 
would be formed at the juncture of tail and back, 
thereby giving greater prominence to the faults of 
his back. Much better backs may be found at many 
shows but thousands of specimens are no better in 
this section than the bird shown here. 

With only three points allowed for shape of back, 
it is not possible to cut this specimen more than 
three points, no matter how imperfect it may be. 
The Standard description previously quoted calls 
for a concave back. The back on the specimen 
shown herewith could hardly be more imperfect 
even though it were convex. It is practically 
straight, being neither concave nor convex. It is at 



62 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

least one-fourth too long and it slopes at an angle 
of about 20 degrees. It is an excellent back for a 
Minorca and if on a specimen of that variety, it 
could pass with a cut of one-half point but when 
placed upon a Leghorn it is a sorry misfit. If it is 
one-fourth longer than it should be, the cut for this 
feature would be one-fourth of the three points al- 
lowed for back, which v/ould be three-fourths of a 
point. It is straight instead of being concave or 
properly curved and this deserves at least one-third 
of the total, making one point. It should have at 
least one-fourth off for the incline or slant and this 
makes three-fourths of a point. The total cuts 
would therefore be two and one-half points. How 
many judges would have the nerve to cut a back 
of this kind two and one-half points? Those who 
did would be severely criticised by many breeders. 
A Minorca back on a Leghorn is an abomination 
and deserves the severest cut. It would be a good 
thing for the breed if the Standard placed the same 
valuation upon shape of back in Leghorns that it 
does in Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes. This 
would enable the judges to cut harder and breed- 
ers would then pay more attention to back shape 
Vv^hen mating their breeding birds and great prog- 
ress would be made in this respect. Upon a valua- 
tion of six points for back this bird would be cut 
about five for shape, but as judges are inclined to 
be lenient the average cut would probably be three. 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING o:] 

The comb on this bird is not an exceptionally 
good one. An intelligent opinion in regard to de- 
tails cannot be expressed because we have only a 
side view of it. The breadth of it cannot be seen 
and it may be very hollow in front. The comb in 
all varieties of Leghorns is valued by the Standard 
at ten points. The defects that can be seen in the 
picture are the height of the comb from the base 
of the skull, the extension over the side of the 
head forming a recess and the thickness of the 
blade from the top to the point where it leaves the 
top of the head. These features alone are deserving 
of a cut of one and a half points, which would 
place the valuation of the defects at 15 per cent. 

The neck, as it appears in the picture, is much 
too short and thick. It would not be nearly so 
defective if the bird was standing erect. Shape of 
neck is valued at three points, and this one is not 
less than one-third defective, which would make a 
cut of one point about the proper amount, taking 
the comb just as it can be seen in the illustration. 
The breast should be well rounded, full; carried 
well forward. This is the Standard description. 
Any novice can plainly see that the bird does not 
come anywhere near fitting the description. The 
breast is extremely flat from the hock up to the 
hackle. Calling it one-third defective is treating it 
liberally, and as six points are allowed for perfec- 
tion, the cut on this basis would be two points. If 



64 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

the reader will compare this picture with that of 
the male Leghorn in the Standard, the great dif- 
ference will be readily noted. The body is especially 
defective, it being nearly or quite as long as would 
be required for a Minorca. There is so much of the 
body in front of the legs that it seems greatly over- 
balanced and the bird has the appearance of being- 
ready to topple over on account of being so heavy 
in front and so little of the body back of the legs. 
The body is valued at three points. If it was fifty 
per cent defective the cut would be one and a half 
points, but this is perhaps a little severe and one 
and a quarter would be better. The tail is almost 
perfect, except in carriage. It is much too low, 
but as between the two evils, the tail that is too 
low is to be preferred to one that is equally as 
much too high. One of the worst and most com- 
mon .defects in Leghorn males is straight or 
squirrel tails. If this tail was carried at the proper 
angle, 45 degrees, it could be passed with a cut of 
one-half point. 



Easy Lessons in Judging — No. 3 

In this lesson we shall consider the scoring of 
Barred Plymouth Rocks and discuss the matter with 
reference to the highest score that can consistently 
be given to a bird of this variety. 

The subject is one that can hardly be duplicated 
as regards the number of breeders and exhibitors 
interested in it. No variety, absolutely none, is 
more difficult to breed to Standard requirements. 
Some of the very best talent to be found in the 
poultry world has constantly been striving for per- 
fection in this variety and from the testimony of 
some of the old time judges, we are forced to the 
conclusion that perfection is just about as far dis- 
tant as it ever was. 

We often hear the statement that the Standard 
values color 40 per cent and shape 60 per cent, thus 
attaching more importance to shape. This is a mis- 
take. Color is given 41 points out of the total of 
100. Shape is given 49 points, which includes 8 for 
symmetry and 8 for comb, and the 8 for comb should 
really not be considered in this comparison because 
It IS not strictly a shape section like some portions 
of the body. Neither is it cut for color. The re- 



66 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

maining 10 points are divided between weight and 
condition, 6 for the former and 4 for the latter. The 
sections that are cut for both shape and color are 
given 33 for shape and 41 for color, which makes the 
division approximately 55 per cent for color and 45 
per cent for shape. 

But without specifically considering the above 
comparison let us see what would be necessary for a 
Barred Rock to score 95 points. Suppose the bird 
was so near perfection that it could pass with a cut 
of only 1/2 point for color in neck, back, breast, body, 
wings, tail, and ^ for shape of comb. This would 
make a total of 3^ and is assuming that the bird is 
perfect in color of head, including eyes, and also in 
color of wattles and ear lobes and legs and toes. 
Then suppose that in the other 12 sections it is per- 
fect in 9 and is cut only ^ point each in the remain- 
ing 3. This would make V/z points, and the bird 
would then score 95. Such a bird as described above 
has never been bred and never will be. 

There never was a Barred Rock that under a 
strict application of the Standard was absolutely 
perfect in any color section. Surely no breeder will 
deny this. Therefore the least cut that can be given 
in each color section is ^. Perfection of color con- 
sists of several things. The feathers should be reg- 
ularly barred, the bars should be narrow, they 
should be parallel, they should be sharply defined, 
they should be free from shafting or brownish tinge 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 



67 



or metallic sheen. The white should be a ''grayish 
white," not any other kind of white, and the dark- 
bars should be a bluish black that "stops short of 
a positive black." Every feather in ever section 
should fit this description and every one of them 
should be barred clear down to the skin. 

In summing up what the highest possible score 
could be, we believe that the following estimate is a 
fair one. Taking the sections as they appear in the 
Standard we will apportion the cuts something like 
this-symmetry perfect, weight perfect, condition 
perfect, head perfect in both shape and color, eyes 
perfect in shape and color, comb % for shape, wat- 
tles perfect, ear lobes perfect in shape and color 
neck i^ for color, back >^ for color and ^^ for shape 
breast i^ for color and >^ for shape, body and fluff 
Vz for color, wings 1 for color, tail ^ for shape and 
M for color, legs and toes perfect in shape and color. 
This makes a total of 6 points and would make the 
score' 94. Ten thousand specimens might be in- 
spected and not one of this quality be found. In 
all our experience as a judge, we have never given 
a score of 94 to a Barred Rock. In fixing the above 
cuts m just the places they appear, we do not wish 
to convey the impression that if a 94 point bird 
could be found, the score card would be a duplicate 
of the above. For instance, the breast, back or tail 
may pass without a cut for shape, but if thev should 



68 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

there would be other sections in which the defects 
would bring up the total to the same amount. 

In our opinion, a score of 94 could be reached by 
a pullet only. A cock bird could not get close 
enough to it to entitle him to a moment's consider- 
ation. A 91^ point cock is a "corker." This is why 
the Standard permits the awarding of first prize to 
a cock bird if he scores as high as 88, while in the 
other classes a bird must reach 90. A cockerel that 
scores 92^ honest points is about as good as a 
breeder can hope to get. A 93 point hen and a 93}4 
point pullet are about the limits in their respective 
classes. The average first prize cockerel at a good 
show in strongest competition will be found to score 
about as follows: Weight }^, comb 1, neck ^ for 
shape and % for color, back ^ for shape and ^ for 
color, back ^ for shape and ^ for color, breast ^ 
for color, body and fluff Yz for color, wings V/i for 
color, tail 5^ for shape and 1 for color, a total of 7^, 
which would make the score 9234- Cuts of ^ point 
in Barred Rock color are almost impossible if the 
Standard be strictly applied. The color value of 
the neck is 6 points. If the neck is only half as good 
as a perfect neck, then the cut should be half of 6, 
which would be 3. If it were one-third defective, 
the cut would be 2. If it were one-fifth or twenty 
per cent defective, the cut would be practically 1^. 
If it were only one-eighth or 12^/ per cent defective, 
the cut would be ^i. Let the reader fix in his mind 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 69 

the full requirements of the Standard as regards 
color and then ask himself if he ever saw a neck on 
a Barred Rock cockerel that was only one-eighth 
defective or 87^ per cent perfect. Yet in order to 
make the cut ^ we have to say that the neck was 
about 92 per cent perfect. The same number of 
points (6) are fixed by the Standard as the color 
value for back and wings. If we find a bird that is 
less than one-fourth defective in color of wings we 
have found a remarkable specimen. One-fourth of 
the 6 points allowed for color of wings would give 
us 1}^ points, and except in most unusual cases this 
should be the minimum color cut in this section. 
We may get fairly good wing bows and secondaries, 
but in the primaries is where the trouble arises. 
Breeders are careful to conceal these when showing 
the wing barring. It is a tender spot and they hood- 
wink themselves and each other by hiding this sec- 
tion. They don't like to consider it. The average 
cockerel deserves a cut of about two points in wing 
color, and many of them should be cut four. If each 
section is carefully gone over and discounted in true 
proportion to the Standard values we will readily 
see that 92 point cockerels and 93 point pullets are 
rare good birds. It is not a discredit to Barred 
Rocks nor a reflection upon the ability of breeders 
that this variety does not score as high as the solid 
color birds. The public should be educated in the 
matter and amateurs should be made to understand 



70 



SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 



that a 93 point Barred Rock pullet is as good a bird 
in its class as is a 96 White Rock pullet in its class. 
The same proportionate difference exists in both 
sexes and in young and old birds. 




Easy Lessons in Judging — No. 4 



In the following remarks we call attention to 
three types of fowls that are very generally confused 
with each other, namely, the Plymouth Rock, the 
Wyandotte and the Orpington. 

There is an old saying known to all poultrynien 
but never thought of by the average breeder in the 
light of its full importance. We refer to the truism, 
"Shape makes the breed, and color the variety." 
Were it not for a few minor details, we could not 
possibly distinguish some of the varieties upon any 
other basis than the shape of their bodies. For 
example, take the White Plymouth Rock and the 
White Wyandotte. The Wyandotte has a rose comb 
and the Plymouth Rock a single comb, but in all 
other respects they are the same except in shape of 
body. The two types are so apt to breed alike that 
hundreds of birds exhibited at the shows would 
pass for either breed, were it not for the comb. The 
sam.e is true of Buff Plymouth Rocks and Bui¥ Wy- 
andottes. Quite a number of the Wliite and Buff 
Wyandottes found at the shows and in the yards of 
breeders are simply rose comb Plymouth Rocks. Buff 
Orpingtons are plentiful that would easily pass for 
Bufif Plymouth Rocks were it not for white or pink- 



72 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

ish white legs and toes. It is often necessary for 
the judge to look at the legs of the fowl in order 
to determine what breed the exhibitor claims the 
birds to be. 

To the inexperienced person and amateur poultry- 
man it is a most difficult matter to distinguish be- 
tween these three breeds if shape alone is consid- 
ered, but the breeder can never make any great pro- 
gress till he has clearly fixed in his mind the shape 
of the one he is breeding. The types are entirely 
different and by observation and study of the Stand- 
ard of Perfection one can soon learn the true type 
of each. It is, of course, impossible for a breeder 
to secure the proper shape in all the birds he raises, 
but if he knows what the proper shape is, he can 
discard the culls intelligently and can keep and 
breed from the most typical specimens, thereby in- 
creasing the average excellence of his flock. 

It is impossible in space here available to more 
than briefly refer to a few of the differences in type 
in the three breeds mentioned. The body proper, 
is the most distinguishing feature but the details of 
neck, back, tail and breast constitute special modi- 
fications that are of great importance. In order to 
get a correct idea of the difference in type it is nec- 
essary to compare the illustrations in the Standard, 
although a fair idea may be obtained by viewing 
living models nearly perfect in type and by having 
the defects pointed out by some one who is familiar 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 73 

with the breeds. The word description in the Stand- 
ard is sufficient in nearly every case to convey a 
clear idea of w^hat is meant but in the description 
of Plymouth Rock and Orpington body the word- 
ing is admittedly too similar and in fact is so nearly 
identical as to make it worthless without the illus- 
trations that accompany each breed. The descrip- 
tion of the male Plymouth Rock is as follows : 
"Body rather long, broad, deep, full ; keel bone, 
rather long, straight from front to rear and extend- 
ing well forward. Fluff, moderately full." The 
description of the Orpington body is identically the 
same except that the w^ord "full," the sixth word 
in the description, is omitted. The difference is so 
slight as to not be worthy of consideration, the 
word being really superfluous in the Plymouth Rock 
description. The male Wyandotte body is described 
as follows : "Body, short, deep, round. Fluff, full 
feathered, well rounded." This is quite a difference 
and there is no chance for a confusion of ideas. 
There is just as much dift'erence between the Or- 
pington and the Plymouth Rock as there is between 
either of them and the Wyandotte. The Plymouth 
Rock body is much longer than either the Orpington 
or Wyandotte and it is not nearly so deep. It tapers 
from front to rear and produces what is often 
termed a "wedge" shape. It is also higher from the 
ground but while this feature impresses one as a 
shape characteristic it is really attributable to the 



74 



SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 



greater length of the legs. The Wyandotte body is 
set on shorter legs and it is more compact. It is 
quite deep and short, much more so than that of 
the Plymouth Rock, and instead of being long and 
"wedge" shaped it is short, deep and very much 
rounded with a slight cushion in the back of the 
female. The shape of the Orpington body is a pecu- 
liar one and somewhat difficult to describe. It is 
long like the Plymouth Rock but is much deeper. 
It may be said to be a Plymouth Rock in length 
and a Wyandotte in depth, although the character- 
istic shape of neck, back and tail so modifies the 
body shape that the bird as a whole presents an 
entirely different appearance from either of these 
two breeds. 




Easy Lessons in Judging — No. 5 



Orpingtons, as they are found at the majority of 
shows, are as a class, farther away from true type 
than is the case with any other breed. They are 
one of the newer breeds in this country and the 
demand for them has been so great that birds of 
rather poor quality have been bred from and sold in 
large numbers. 

Improvement is being made each season and even 
slow as it is, there is much encouragement for breed- 
ers. Those who have birds of extra quality as re- 
gards shape, are fortunate and are able to sell them 
at high prices. Ideal pictures of the breed have not 
been placed so prominently and persistently before 
the public as has been the case with many other 
breeds, and for this reason, many people are breed- 
ing the Orpington without a clear idea of what they 
should try to produce. A glance at the ideal picture 
in the Standard of Perfection will show the great 
difference in the three breeds referred to in this 
article. The Plymouth Rock body is long and nar- 
row. Measuring from the base of the neck hackle 
where the back begins, to a point immediately in 
front of the hock plumage, the depth of the Ply- 
mouth Rock body should be about two-thirds of the 



76 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

length, measured from the most prominent point 
on the breast to the upper extremity of the fluff. 
This is about the right relative proportions of the 
bird and the lower part of the body should taper 
from the front to the rear, being deepest at the rear. 
The Wyandotte body is shorter and deeper, which 
makes it more rounded. It should not be so very 
much longer than it is deep. The difference should 
be hardly noticeable. The Orpington body is still 
shorter and deeper than the Wyandotte and in some 
of the best specimens the body is as deep as it is 
long. The length of legs in the three breeds also 
influences the impression one gets of the bodies of 
the fowls. The Plymouth Rock leg is rather long 
and that of the Wyandotte is noticeably shorter 
while the leg of the Orpington is extremely short. 
The Plymouth Rock type seems to be the more 
firmly established, by which we mean that the Ply- 
mouth Rocks are not nearly so defective as are the 
other two breeds. The tendency in the confusion 
of types is toward the Wyandotte and Orpington 
encroaching upon the Plymouth Rock. A Plymouth 
Rock is seldom seen that could be called fairly good 
Orpington shape, but there are Orpingtons in plenty 
that would pass for Plymouth Rocks. The matter 
is not so prominent in Plymouth Rocks and Wyan- 
dottes, but as between the two there are a great 
many more Plymouth Rock shaped Wyandottes 
than there are Wyandotte shaped Plymouth Rocks. 



AND EASY LESSONS IN JUDGING 77 

In view of this fact, it will, therefore, be more 
appropriate and our comment may be better under- 
stood if we use principally the Plymouth Rock as a 
basis or standard of comparison. A short thick neck 
upon a Plymouth Rock should be cut ^ to 1>^ 
points, the latter amount being justified in case of 
the neck being similar to an ideal Orpington or the 
other extreme, that of a Game. A Plymouth Rock 
possessing a Wyandotte type should be cut approx- 
imately ^ for shape of neck, ^ for back, ^i for tail, 
^ for breast, % for body and J^ for legs. Any one 
of these sections may be specially defective, which 
would make the cut in that section greater than 
specified. A Plymouth Rock female with short 
cushioned back like a Wyandotte female should be 
cut at least 1 point for this defect and the same 
cut could consistently be made for tail. A Wyan- 
dotte shaped like a Plymouth Rock should be cut 
in about the same proportion in each of the sections 
as above specified. 

A Wyandotte shaped like an Orpington should be 
cut about y2 point in each section except in body, 
back and tail of the female, which sections should 
be cut about ^ of a point. An Orpington showing 
the shape of a Wyandotte should be given practic* 
ally the same cuts. An Orpington with the shape 
of a Plymouth Rock should be cut approximately as 
follows, neck 1, back ^, tail ^, breast 1, body 1, 
legs H. 



78 SECRETS OF EXPERT EXHIBITORS 

In the shape of fowls, the extremes are represent- 
ed by the Minorca and the Cochin. We refer par- 
ticularly to the length and depth of body. The 
Minorca body is long and narrow and the Cochin 
is a big bulky rounded mass of flesh and feathers. 
There is not a flat or concave surface anywhere 
upon the body of an ideal Cochin. All breeds other 
than these are modifications of these types. A few 
degrees removed from the Minorca, we find the Ply- 
mouth Rock. A further deviation toward the Cochin 
gives us the Wyandotte and farther down the line 
we get the Orpington. All three of these breeds 
are so far removed from each other in this respect 
that the ideals are conspicuously different in type, 
but then we find that nature mixes things up a 
little for us and the breeder who possesses the skill 
and knowledge to mate the birds and get a goodly 
number of typical specimens is entitled to much 
credit. He generally gets it as well as the financial 
profit that is a possible addition to it. 




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